


Running

by livvy_x



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Jughead Jones, Light Angst, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones, bughead - Freeform, southside serpents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-28 20:24:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13279212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livvy_x/pseuds/livvy_x
Summary: Betty doesn’t leave the Whyte Wyrm after Jughead breaks up with her. She ends up in conversation with a very flirtatious Sweetpea, which causes Jughead to step in. Just as the boys are about to fight, Betty storms out. Will Jughead be able to make amends? Or has Betty had enough?





	Running

_“How many times, Jug? How many times are we gonna keep pushing each other away?”_

_“Until it sticks.” ___

__Jughead broke up with her. He told her to go home. Betty was sad, like she should be, but she was also pissed. Crying was the last thing that she wanted to do right now. She wasn’t going to go home, she’d cry if she did that. Instead, she stormed back into the Whyte Wyrm with a hard expression on her face._ _

__Betty needed something to take the edge off, so she headed for the bar. Before she had the chance to get there, Sweetpea grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop. “What?” The blonde swirled around to look at him, not even caring that she sounded rude, which was extremely unusual for her._ _

__“Running around this place without your boy?” Sweetpea asked, cocking an eyebrow at the fact that Jughead was nowhere in sight._ _

__Betty snarled, turning her head. “He broke up with me,” she mentioned, looking down at the ground rather than at any of the people in the bar._ _

__“Ah,” Sweetpea said, nodding his head. He put an arm around her shoulders, leading her to sit on a bar stool. “That’s why you were heading that way,” he realized. “Here. Drink Toni’s beer, she ran off somewhere.” He took the beer mug and placed it in her hand._ _

__Betty took the beer and chugged it back in one gulp. She’s drank alcohol before, but normally in small increments with food as a way of keeping herself in pace. “Thanks,” she muttered, but then Sweetpea offered her the rest of his, which she drank the same way as the other. “Thanks again,” she seethed, feeling bitterness in her throat from the taste. Honestly, it wasn’t a lot of beer, since both were already drunken from, but it was definitely enough for her to feel it._ _

__“Hey,” Sweetpea leaned closer to Betty as she rested her chin on the table. “What happened with you and Jones?” He was curious, but he was also trying to be sympathetic, as a way to get her to lean on him or anything._ _

__Betty shrugged. “Don’t know,” she mumbled back to Sweetpea, tracing shapes on the table with her pinky finger. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jughead leaning against the wall, keeping an angry gaze on her. “He’s looking at me right now. He shouldn’t be looking at me,” she said. She was a bit buzzed, but not bad enough to be unfunctional or unaware of her surroundings._ _

__“He’s not worth it.” Sweetpea shook his head. “I mean, shit, you are a real life princess, Cooper,” he praised, knowing the alcohol in her would make her appreciate that even more so than it would if she was sober. Betty grinned, perking her head up to rest on her hand as her elbow steadied on the table. “You’re just so pretty,” he said, catching eyes with Jughead, who looked just about ready to explode._ _

__“Thanks, Sweetpea,” Betty hummed. “You’re a nice guy,” she patted his arm softly. For him himself, it most certainly wasn’t enough, but for Jughead? It was enough to piss him the hell off. He couldn’t hear the conversation between his ex-girlfriend and his fellow Serpent, but he knew damn well that Sweetpea was flirting, and he did not like it._ _

__Sweetpea nodded. “Wanna know what else I think?” He waited until Betty met his eyes to go any further. “You looked fucking hot on that pole tonight,” he whispered lustfully, letting those images run through his mind all over again… the sexy, black lace always did it in for him. “I mean, damn. Where’d you learn those moves?”_ _

__Betty shrugged. “Never learned moves. Just wanted to be part of something… for Juggie,” she bit her tongue after saying his name. “But you really think so?” She asked, tilting her head a bit. She like and needed the validation at the moment._ _

__Sweetpea inched their faces even closer, ignoring her words about Jughead. “I know so,” he responded as he reached forward, tucking a strand on her hair behind her ear. “Hottest Serpent I’ve ever met,” he winked, knowing that calling her a Serpent would create some sort of reaction from her. He was about to open his mouth again, but he was interrupted when he got shoved._ _

__“Back the fuck up, man.” It was Jughead… _angry, fuming Jughead _. “What the fuck do think your doing?” Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Betty drunkenly scrambled to her feet.____

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____Sweetpea cackled, stepping closer to be nose to nose with Jughead. “Talking to a pretty girl in need,” he said, clicking his tongue. “Since she don’t have a boyfriend to do so,” he laughed. “No boyfriend to welcome her into the Serpent community. No boyfriend to tell her how fucking sexy she looked up there,” he pretended to shiver. To her, he wasn’t trying to be a disrespectful asshole, and he knew he was coming off that way right now, but Jughead deserved to hear it this way._ _ _ _

____“Honestly, Sweetpea,” Jughead seethed. “I would really shut up—”_ _ _ _

____“Just punch him, Sweetpea!” Tall Boy shouted, crossing his arms. A few people chanted in agreement as they huddle behind the taller boy while others cheered for Jughead and ran behind him. Betty stood to the side, watching from the middle. “Show him what a real Serpents made of.”_ _ _ _

____Toni rolled her eyes. “Come on, Jug. Sweetpea’s an ass. Knock him out,” she shouted, amongst many others._ _ _ _

____The screams were ringing in Betty’s ears. She was sobering up fast with all of what was happening in front of her. Why was Jughead even trying to fight with Sweetpea right now? He broke up with her, he shouldn’t care who talks to her… even though she knew she’d be the same way._ _ _ _

____“Just stay away from her, man,” Jughead spat out, stepping intimidatingly close. He’s been through the gauntlet, he knows he can take a hit, so if worse come to worse, he’ll be fine._ _ _ _

____Sweetpea snorted. “She ain’t your girl anymore, Juggie. She’s one of us now, isn’t she? Needs someone to look out for her. If it ain’t you, it’s me,” he clicked his tongue. Jughead pushed him then, furiously. “Really tryna fight right now?” Sweetpea pushes back._ _ _ _

____Betty yelled Jughead’s name, but there was no response. She angrily scrunched her hair in her hands, letting out a small, disgruntled sound. Enough was enough to her though, this was ridiculous. With the same, or worse, amount of frustration Jughead was feeling, she stormed out of the Whyte Wyrm._ _ _ _

____After realizing he got lost in the enthusiastic cheers of the other Serpents, Jughead moved his eyes to where Betty was standing. She wasn’t there anymore. As Sweetpea shoved him and shouted some demeaning words into his face, Jughead shifted his gaze to the door which was closing shut. In that moment, he realized he seemed like a complete dumbass. “Fuck,” he muttered, pushing Sweetpea away. “Get out of my way,” he snapped before running out the door behind Betty. The sound of people booing echoed in his ears, but he ignored it. He had some fixing to do. From ahead of him, in the cold winter air, he saw her running._ _ _ _

____Betty was running as fast as she possibly could. Each step sent a pounding vibration of pain through her body. Each step heavier her breath, making it feel impossible to breathe. She didn’t hear Jughead yelling for her, and she didn’t notice him running after her… all she was aware of was the burning in her chest. Tears reluctantly spilled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away. She didn’t want to feel hurt; she wanted the pain to go away. As she sprinted away, trying to clear her mind, her fingers dug into her palms, breaking the skin and making blood pour out. The injuries didn’t bother her, she didn’t care. She cared about everything else though and she didn’t want to._ _ _ _

____All of a sudden, before she even knew where her feet had taken her, Betty looked up to see Pop’s Chock-lit Shoppe a few feet ahead of her. A safe place. Sniffling and ridding of her tears, she cleared her throat and walked in. “Oh, Betty,” Pop greeted kindly before asking, “Vanilla milkshake, like usual?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes, please,” Betty said, trying to make her voice sound steady. “Thanks, Pop.” She gave him a weak smile before going to her regular booth._ _ _ _

____While Betty inspected the incisions she accidentally made into her palms, the bell of the door opening sounded through the diner. She didn’t look back to see who it was, but she heard heavy breathing, and she knew it to be Jughead. “What the fuck? You run fast,” he let out breathlessly as he sat on the opposite of their regular booth._ _ _ _

____“You followed me?” Betty snapped, acting like she wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. Honestly, she wasn’t. At the same time though, she wanted nothing more than to make him understand that every move she makes is for him, how everything thing she does is for him._ _ _ _

____Jughead frowned. “Of course I did,” he said softly, taking in sight of her saddened face. She wasn’t looking at him, but the way her eyes reddened around the rims and the way her hands were fighting to stay unclenched, he felt like he was being repeatedly punched in the gut… which probably is more painful than the beatdown from Sweetpea would have been._ _ _ _

____Betty rolled her eyes. “ _Of course, you did _,” she mocked. “Funny,” she muttered under her breath.___ _ _ _

______Jughead closed his eyes for a moment as Pop set Betty’s milkshake in front of her. Her small words of thankfulness came out so sweet, he missed her like that… all joyus rather than upset. “God, Betty,” he muttered out. “Don’t you see? Why I push you away? Why I got in Sweetpea’s face like that?” Betty simply looked at him, completely blank. He knew she was holding in her emotions, just as he would, but he couldn’t do that right now. He needed to get a point across. “It’s all because I love you. I love you so much, Betty. So much that I can’t sit around and see you allow yourself go into any situation that could hurt you. The Serpents? That is not where you belong. They beat you down and shame you for it, even if they claim they stick up for each other. Sweetpea’s an ass, he’s looking for an easy lay and that’s it,” he gave reasoning. “I just want to protect you, but the closer you get to the Southside, the harder it gets.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“And don’t you see that everything I do is for the same reason? I want to be able to protect you too, Jughead,” Betty said sternly, fighting the urge to raise her voice here in the diner. He just made her so, so frustrated in moments like this. “Yes, I apologize that the Serpent Dance is a misogynistic way to do things, but I want to be part of what you are… what you come from. And you know what? Maybe it was dumb of me to want to join this lifestyle, but it’s yours. If you’re in, I’m in. If you’re out, I’m out,” she explained. “Maybe our methods clash, but the way you find resolution in ending things between us is wrong, Jug. It’s fucking stupid,” she spat out, harsher than intended. “You really think it’s better to throw it all away? To let all we’ve ever fought for go?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______On any other occasion, Jughead would proudly smirk in the fire that laced her voice; this was different though. Instead, with his set expression, he got up and sat next to her. “I was wrong, I’m sorry,” he whispered. Betty acted like she wasn’t aware of their shoulders touching or the sound of the words he had just said, and she didn’t meet his eyes, she just stared and her milkshake, fiddling with the straw that came with it. The boy reached out, gently placed two fingers on her chin and turning her face towards him. From the position he was in, their faces were close. For some people, it may have been awkward, but for them, the feeling of one another’s breath on their skin was comfortable… it was safe. He watched her beautiful green eyes soften, knowing she was allowing herself to loosen up. “I was wrong. I was stupid,” he said. “I’m sorry.” The repetition of words came out genuinely, especially since it normally took him a lot of time to muster up such a serious conversation. “I love you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty’s breath hitched. Her gaze batted from his stormy blue eyes to his neutral pink-tinted lips that she was oh, so familiar with. Before she knew what was happening, he clashed their lips together, engulfing her in a well-needed and passionate kiss. Betty knew she was putty in his hands as he cradled her face in his, holding her close like she was all that mattered in his fucked up little world. When the kiss ended, they kept their foreheads together, still holding onto each other for dear life as they breathed in the others scent. Betty savored the smell of cigarettes and soap, just as he did with the smell of vanilla ice cream and cotton candy perfume. For a second, they stayed just like that, in each other’s safe, warm embrace._ _ _ _ _ _

______Opening her eyes, Betty whispered, “Are you gonna try and leave me again?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“No,” Jughead replied instantly, not letting her go. “No more short-circuiting. No more running. I’ll do what I can to protect you, but I won’t push you away in doing so. I’m gonna try, okay? I’m gonna try not to go to that last resort like I always do,” he babbled._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty gulped, nodding her head. She understood. “I love you, Juggie.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead returned the words and kissed her once more. “I still don’t want you in the Serpents,” he said, leaning back to look at her. Betty raised an eyebrow, not saying anything. “And the next time Sweetpea pulls anything like that I will fucking punch him in the throat,” he added, reaching for the girl’s milkshake to take a sip._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty couldn’t help it… she broke out into a small grin and a little fit of giggles. This is what they do, but no matter how many times something causes them to ‘break up,’ _it will never stick _. The only thing that will stick is their steady love and passion for each other, their willingness to go to the ends of the earth for each other. Sure it got rough, but they were in love. Nothing could change that.________


End file.
